5 things: The rotisserie chicken wars

The rotisserie chicken wars: Celebrity chef David Chang is talking some chicken smack. In a recent episode of Chang’s podcast, he went on a rant about Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken, calling it “inedible.” So then, who’s rotisserie chicken does he deem edible? According to Chang, it’s Sprouts Alhambra, a grocery store near Los Angeles, which also boasts fresh sushi and a coffee and juice bar. It’s not easy to pull off the dish — rotisserie chicken cases are cost-prohibitive for most smaller independent retailers. And while Costco may boast a cheap rotisserie chicken, shoppers can find antibiotic, hormone, and artificial ingredient-free rotisserie chickens at other grocery stores like Whole Foods and Kroger, where an organic rotisserie chicken costs $9.99. —Chloe Riley 

These groceries are garbage: A few weeks ago we highlighted handbag designer Shelley Parker, who is converting used Fresh Direct plastic totes into $900 purses, and this week we bring you The Plastic Bag Store, an art installation in which a pseudo-grocery store has been created to display pseudo-groceries — made entirely out of discarded plastic garbage. The Ann Arbor, Mich., installation, by artist Robin Frohardt, features thousands of hand-sculpted items, from meats to sushi, bread and cakes, along with short films and puppet shows that call attention to the environmental impact of single-use plastic waste. Creative upcycling appears to be a trend with (plastic?) legs. —Mark Hamstra

Eggs on the rise: Eggs. Can’t live with them, can’t afford to send your kids to college without them. Well, maybe it’s not that bad yet, but it’s true that in many states egg prices have doubled — and in a lucky few they’ve risen by just 50%. States in the upper Midwest saw the average price for a dozen eggs double in December over the same month in 2021, writes Business Insider. The price rose the fastest in Iowa, where a dozen eggs jumped 153% to $4.44. And it’s not showing signs of slowing — egg prices are likely to remain high in 2023. One New York grocer is even leaning into Instagram Reels to offer temporary deals on egg prices. It’s a situation that’s not eggcellent. —CR

It’s not a popularity contest. Oh wait, it is: In this inflationary environment, shoppers are flocking to private label, and so perhaps it comes as no surprise that Aldi has been voted America’s most popular grocery store, according to new data from market research and data analytics firm YouGov. Per the intel, Aldi — which has nearly 2,300 locations across the United States — scored a 65% popularity rating in YouGov’s latest grocery survey, which spanned the final three months of 2022. Trader Joe’s came in a close second (63%) followed by Kroger (61%). Rounding out the top five are 7-Eleven and Whole Foods, and other grocery chains, including Safeway and Winn-Dixie, each made an appearance in the top 10. —CR

A potent posting: Small labels can generate big paybacks. That’s what seafood merchandisers are discovering as studies show that more seafood shoppers are seeking product labels that signify that the item was caught or raised in a sustainable manner. About 50% of consumers reported that ecolabels on products raise their trust and confidence in the brand and 69% are demanding that retailers’ and brands’ claims about sustainability and the environment be clearly labeled and third-party verified. To draw further attention to certification labels, a marketing campaign, entitled “Little Labels, Big Impact,” is running through the end of January with an objective of encouraging consumers to look for little labels when shopping to support products that support their values. Stick it to ’em! —Richard Mitchell

Who has the best rotisserie chicken? (And why!) Let us know in the comments below, or email your thoughts to SN Executive Editor Chloe Riley at [email protected].